The invention relates to an apparatus for encasing articles by wrapping with a film web which, during the advance of the articles, is passed around the articles with overlapping of its edges, it being possible to feed the articles as article groups comprising two or more articles arranged adjacent to one another and/or one above the other by means of an inward conveyor to a winding unit having a support member for the articles, and it being possible to transport the wrapped article groups with continuous wrapping through an outward conveyor arranged downstream of the winding unit.
The wrapping of articles, in particular (relatively large) packages or groups of packages, with a film web which is wound around the articles during the advance of the latter is a simple, effective way of packaging the articles or holding them together in groups. In this arrangement the film web consists of a so-called stretch film which can be shrunk subsequently.
An apparatus of the type mentioned initially is disclosed by German Patent No. 3,338,036. The articles are supported and transported in the region of the winding unit by upper and lower belt conveyors. These conveyors are also wrapped by the film web. When the wrapped articles are passed to the outward conveyor, the film web or the resulting wrapping of the articles runs off the belt conveyors.
The wrapping with the film web of the upper and lower belt conveyors which receive the articles between them is perceived as disadvantageous since the conveyors do not come into contact with the articles to be wrapped until after leaving the winding region.